Week in Review: S&S Opens in India, 3 Million Titles Pubbed in US in 2010

Simon and Schuster Opens Subsidiary in India

It is the last of the “Big Six” US publishing groups to enter the Indian book market. The staff of six will focus on sales and marketing of S&S’s existing list of English-language titles.

Three Million New Editions in the U.S. in 2010

If you thought the 1.3 million titles published in the US in 2009 was large number, brace yourself.

This past week Bowker released preliminary figures for book production in the U.S. last year. The total number of new editions from traditional publishers increased “from 302,410 in 2009 to a projected 316,480 in 2010” — or a 5% hike. Thus, all the predictions about the demise of print publishing in the face of digital, have been overstated. The trend is actually the reverse.

What’s even more startling is when you look at the “non-traditional” sector — which includes self-publishing, e-books, POD, and reprint editions of public domain titles. This sector increased an incredible 169%, from 1,033,065 in 2009 to an amazing 2,776,260 in 2010.

US E-books Up 159.8% in First Quarter of 2011

For the first quarter of 2011, US e-book sales were up 159.8%, to $233.1 million. And adult hardcover and mass market paperback did better, posting gains in March, all the print segments had declines for the first quarter with the mass markets and children’s paperbacks showing the steepest declines. (Source: Publishers Weekly)

Amazon Now Sells More E-books Than Print Books

Amazon.com announced this week that for every 100 print books it sells, it moves 105 e-books. They also noted that e-book sales at this point in 2011 are three times higher than they were at this time last year.

Comprehensive US Sales Survey Expected at BEA

BookExpo America, the key book trade conference in the US, takes place next week in New York, with nine concurrent other events. The first comprehensive report on book sales — counting some 1100 publishers — is anticipated.

A Canadian start-up called Entrhill is looking to sell what amount to gift cards (or book tokens, if you will) for e-books in bookstores. The cards will have an an image of the book’s cover on one side and a QR code on the other. At the Book Industry Conference in London this week (where the Sharjah Book Fair paid for several international bookseller to travel to the event) UK chain Waterstones is working with aNobii — a web-based subsidiary owned by HMV (but originated in Hong Kong) — to launch a book-oriented social networking site that hey hope will help create customer loyalty and drive sales.

Cell Phone/Teen Focused Site Figment.com Gets $1 Million Investment

Figment.com., a US-based social writing/networking platform aimed at teenage girls — and primarily focused on composing and reading work on cell phones — garnered a $1 million investment. The site will also move into publishing books.

Go the F*ck to Sleep Pre-ordered 150,000 Times

Dubbed “an adult children’s book,” Go the F*ck to Sleep has become a viral hit in the US, with 150,000 pre-orders on Amazon (no doubt by sleepless parents). The pub date for the book has been moved up by its publisher from October to next month.

A little sample:

“The cats nestle close to their kitten. The lambs that lay down with the sheep. You’re cozy and warm in your bed my dear. Please go the … to sleep.”

Roth Wins Man Booker International Prize

The prize — given every other year — comes with a cash award of £60,000. One of the judges, Carmen Calill — a founder of the feminist Virago Press — protested and retired from the judging panel.

Get Publishing Perspectives in your inbox each day and stay up-to-date on international publishing.

About Publishing Perspectives

Publishing Perspectives is an online magazine of international book publishing news and opinion. Our global network of publishing experts and reporters provide on-the-ground info and analysis from those on the cutting edge of digital, global, and self-publishing.